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Credit: Inside the MagicOn Tuesday, inside the Magic first reported an alleged bat infestation on the Walt Disney World Resort’s Pirates ride. A Disney Cast Member reportedly required medical treatment after being attacked by one of the animals.
As rumors fly about more than 500 bats making Pirates of the Caribbean their home, Guests report the infestation is causing repeated closure of the attraction.
Pirates of the Caribbean Ride
Board the attraction that inspired the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise starring Johnny Depp in Disneyland Park at Disneyland Resort, Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland at Tokyo Disney Resort, and Shanghai Disneyland.
“Set sail on a swashbuckling voyage to a long-forgotten time and place when pirates and privateers ruled the seas,” the Pirates ride description reads. “Board a weathered barge for a treacherous voyage to the 17th century, when rowdy rogues and ruthless rapscallions ransacked Caribbean seaport towns. Sing along as pirates serenade you with their anthem, ‘Yo Ho, Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me).’”
“Sail past haunted Dead Man’s Cove. Navigate cannon fire between a Caribbean fort and a striking 12-gun galleon. Behold boisterous buccaneers drunk on the spoils of plunderin’ as flames engulf a seaside town. Be sure to keep a spry eye out for Captain Jack Sparrow, from The Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Ye beware, mateys: Dead men tell no tales!”
Bat Problems
Thrill Data reports unusually high downtime for Pirates of the Caribbean over the last week, and Guest reports back that up.
“We rode it for the [Halloween] party on Friday but after that it was closed all day Saturday,” said Reddit user u/Chrs987.
“We had a LL for it Friday, but it was down the entire time,” u/sassooal wrote. “It was down later in the day, too. We managed to walk on around 3:15.”
Thankfully, the attraction reopened after a few hours in most instances.
“We rode it yesterday,” u/InterestingMedicine9 explained. “It was down in the morning but then opened back up.”
“I went on Sunday, at around 4PM, 5 minutes after it opened back up,” echoed u/LtLemur.
Walt Disney World Resort hasn’t confirmed the existence of a bat colony on Pirates of the Caribbean. Inside the Magic will report any updates to this developing story.
Have you spotted any bats on the Pirates ride? Share your experience with Inside the Magic in the comments!
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on personal Disney Parks Guest experiences. No two Guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.